SINCE its launch back in the dim and distant 90s the Subaru Outback has been a favourite with country doctors, vets and farmers and others who need for a car that is tough, practical and will go just about anywhere.

The Outback was one of the original crossovers when it first appeared and it has a small but loyal following.

It combines the practicality of a large family estate with off-road capabilty equal to that of most SUVs and will get you to your destination in even the worst weather.

The latest model of the Outback arrived at the start of this year after an extensive revamp but visually not much has changed.

Its boxy shape means the Outback is not as stylish as the opposition but its size means it is quite an imposing vehicle. Body-coloured cladding replaces the black plastic on the previous model and larger fog lamps are included in the front bumper. The alloys are now finished in gunmetal and the headlamps get a a gloss black finish.

The new Outback's main claim to fame is a world first - the pairing of the company's legendary 2.0-litre flat-four ‘boxer' diesel engine with a CVT gearbox -  known as a Lineartronic - that improves fuel economy and emissions.

This enables the Outback to return in excess of 40mpg with carbon dioxide emissions of 166g/km.

Subaru's engineers have improved the ride and handling through alterations to the car's front and rear suspension and the result is that the Outback will deal with just about anything you throw at it.

The steering is well-weighted  and provides decent feel and the brakes are also up to the job. The car's low centre of gravity - thanks to the positioning of the boxer engine - combines with Subaru's efficient Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system  to deliver fine driving dynamics on and off-road.

The boxer engine provides more than enough grunt and the sprint to 62mph takes just 9.7 seconds while the top speed is 120mph.

There is bags of space for five adults to travel in comfort and the boot will take 526 litres of luggage or 1,677 litres with the rear seats folded.

While the cabin has been modernised it still lags behind other cars in this class and price range. The dash features clearer and more modern instrumentation with a liquid crystal display but the plastics still feel harsh and look cheap. 

The SX model I tried offers lots of equipment including a powered-sliding glass sunroof, self-levelling automatic HID headlamps and rain sensing wipers as well as body-coloured bumpers, body-coloured power folding door mirrors with integrated LED indicators and matching colour-coded door handles.

On top of this you get  a leather-trimmed steering wheel featuring buttons for audio and cruise control and a 10-way adjustable electric sports seat.

There's also dual-zone automatic air-conditioning, a hands-free mobile phone system, a radio/CD with USB connectivity and a centre display with rear vision camera. You can add full leather and satnav as an option.

Safety equipment includes six airbags and a stability control system and the Outback comes with a five-year warranty.

The rugged Outback does not come cheap and if only the interior was as good as the mechanicals it would be well worth the money.